Another year, and another update to this thread…
Even though I cut them back to a few inches this past winter, the grafts on the Geraldi have continued to grow wild. When I noticed that it was shading a tree 2 rows over (a heavily laden Golden Russet apple), it was time for more significant pruning.
The other mulberry varieties seem to grow 5-12’, while Geraldi is more in the 1-3’ range. I can keep 1-3’ in check, but 10+’ of growth is too much.
So, this time, rather than cutting it a few inches above the grafts, I cut below them. Now, there are no other varieties grafted on. It’s a pure Geraldi, other than the rootstock. For the first time, I saw a small branch coming up from near the ground and noted that it has different leaves, so this wasn’t grown on its own roots. That means that the Geraldi should be dwarf no matter what it is grown on. I kind of expected this based on other varieties not being dwarfed when grafted on Geraldi, but this is good confirmation.
The rootstock (lobed leaves, rather than mostly round):
The end result:
I kept a few branches over the fence. I can use them for scionwood this winter without them shading much in the meantime. I’ll still have plenty of Kokuso and Oscar wood, as there are two which are getting big in another area of the yard.